Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EXONERATE
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pronounce
EXONERATE:
Say it "egg ZON uh rate."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Here's Malcolm Alexander, who spent thirty-eight years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. He's finally been exonerated, or officially declared not guilty, with the help of The Innocence Project, a group that works to free people who have been wrongly imprisoned.
In Latin, onus means "burden," which explains why an exoneration is a kind of un-burdening--and why something o___ous is burdensome. Could you recall that word?
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definition:
"Exonerate" has Latin roots that literally mean "to unburden." In English, "exonerate" has taken on many meanings that boil down to "unburden, relieve," but the meaning we use today is more specific.
Today, to exonerate someone is to officially free them from blame. In other words, to exonerate people is to say that they are officially not guilty of something.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "This evidence exonerates him;" "She was exonerated."
Other forms:
Exonerated, exonerating, exoneration(s), exonerative, exonerator(s).
Not all dictionaries recognize this one yet, but a person who's been exonerated is an "exoneree."
how to use it:
The word "exonerate" is serious and scholarly.
Although we most often use it in an official way to talk about court decisions, as in "She was exonerated of that crime," we might occasionally use it more loosely to strike a mock-serious tone, as in "He exonerated himself with a video of his sister eating the last cookie."
We talk about evidence that exonerates people, or judges or juries that exonerate people. People can even exonerate themselves with proof, or by offering proof.
Often we say people are exonerated from a crime or accusation, or exonerated of a crime or wrongdoing.
Finally, although it's usually people getting exonerated, or sometimes groups of people, we can get figurative and talk about things or ideas being exonerated. If you can blame it, you can un-blame it: you can exonerate it. And that happens a lot in scientific studies about cause and effect, while people are trying to figure out what to blame and not blame for bad effects. "This study doesn't exonerate all forms of caffeine (US News)." "The paper... doesn't necessarily exonerate social media (The Verge)."
examples:
"[Hercules] had sudden outbursts of furious anger which were always fatal to the often innocent objects. When the rage had passed... he would show a most disarming penitence... Sometimes he punished himself when others were inclined to exonerate him."
— Edith Hamilton, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, 2017
"Some wrongful convictions occurred because enhanced technology and processes such as DNA testing weren't available at the time, but now enable testing to exonerate the wrongly convicted."
— Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 16 September 2020
has this page helped you understand "exonerate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "exonerate" without saying "acquit" or "absolve."
try it out:
These days, you might hear people trying to exonerate e-cigarettes, arguing that they have benefits and aren't as harmful as other tobacco products. I don't think they'll ever exonerate them, though. There are too many documented harms that e-cigarettes cause. (If you're interested in that issue, there's some good information on it here, from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.])
What's another example of something that people are trying to exonerate?
Something that people want to un-blame, or free from blame, so that it can have a better reputation and be more freely enjoyed? Do you think people will ever fully exonerate this thing? Why or why not?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
"Here's your snake. Have a great time!"
review this word:
A. JOINING, BECOMING ONE.
B. INCRIMINATING, BURDENING.
C. DECORATING, EMBELLISHING.
2. The Babylon Bee joked, "Robert Mueller was quick to remind lawmakers that his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election did not exonerate Trump _____ the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865."
A. to
B. from
C. above
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Here's Malcolm Alexander, who spent thirty-eight years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. He's finally been exonerated, or officially declared not guilty, with the help of The Innocence Project, a group that works to free people who have been wrongly imprisoned.
"Exonerate" has Latin roots that literally mean "to unburden." In English, "exonerate" has taken on many meanings that boil down to "unburden, relieve," but the meaning we use today is more specific.
Part of speech:
The word "exonerate" is serious and scholarly.
"[Hercules] had sudden outbursts of furious anger which were always fatal to the often innocent objects. When the rage had passed... he would show a most disarming penitence... Sometimes he punished himself when others were inclined to exonerate him."
Explain the meaning of "exonerate" without saying "acquit" or "absolve."
These days, you might hear people trying to exonerate e-cigarettes, arguing that they have benefits and aren't as harmful as other tobacco products. I don't think they'll ever exonerate them, though. There are too many documented harms that e-cigarettes cause. (If you're interested in that issue, there's some good information on it here, from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.])
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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